Tag: isaiah wilson combine

PFF: Isaiah Wilson going in first round “absurd”

There’s been recent buzz of Georgia Bulldog right tackle Isaiah Wilson going in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. PFF doesn’t think so.

Ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft there’s been recent buzz of Georgia Bulldog right tackle Isaiah Wilson going in the first round. Wilson, who is from Brooklyn, was a two year starter at Georgia. He started in 24 games over the last two seasons for the Dawgs.

He has excellent size (6-6, 350 pounds) and lots of experience against elite competition in the SEC. That didn’t stop Pro Football Focus from bashing his chances at going in the first round:

PFF emphasizes Wilson’s slow 3-cone and short shuttle times at the NFL Combine as reasons why he won’t be picked in the first round. No tackle with similar times has gone in the first round in the last twenty seasons. They additionally express concerns over his pass-blocking ability.

Some NFL teams don’t value the combine as much now. Wilson’s mobility will be questioned at his massive size, but smart NFL general managers will care more about his film than any cone or shuttle drill he ran at the combine.

Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl offensive tackle Orlando Brown is a prime example of an overlooked prospect (third round pick) with massive size and poor NFL Combine testing. When GMs look at Isaiah Wilson’s tape they’ll see a right tackle that was a key piece in UGA’s dominant offensive line (15 sacks allowed — 5th lowest in FBS). Wilson will continue to improve his technique in the NFL. He may be a first round pick, but NFL Draft rumors aren’t always true.

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Comparing Georgia’s 2019 roster to NFL Combine measurements

Does the official Georgia Bulldog roster fib about the size of players?

Several Georgia Bulldogs received their NFL Combine measurements a few weeks ago, but how do those compare to how they’re listed on the 2019 University of Georgia roster? There’s always been the theory that college football teams exaggerate the size of certain players.

It certainly holds true in some cases. For example, the NBA recently cracked down on teams who were listing their players at taller heights.

It must be noted that these players could have gained or lost weight ahead of the 2020 NFL Combine, but for the most part it will tell fan show big and tall UGA players are and if the roster is fibbing.

Quarterback Jake Fromm:

UGA roster: 6’2″, 220 LBS

NFL Combine: 6’1 7/8″, 219 LBS

Running Back D’Andre Swift:

UGA Roster: 5’9″, 215 LBS

NFL Combine: 5’8 1/4″, 212 LBS

Running Back Brian Herrien:

UGA Roster: 6’0″, 210 LBS

NFL Combine: 5’11 1/8″, 209 LBS

Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship:

UGA Roster: 6’1″, 191 LBS

NFL Combine: 6’1″, 190 LBS

Left Tackle Andrew Thomas:

UGA Roster: 6’5″, 320 LBS

NFL Combine: 6’5 1/8″, 315 LBS

Guard Solomon Kindley:

UGA Roster: 6’4″, 335 LBS

NFL Combine: 6’3 1/4″, 337 LBS

Right Tackle Isaiah Wilson:

UGA Roster: 6’7″, 340 LBS

NFL Combine: 6’6 1/2, 350 LBS

Wide Receiver Lawrence Cager:

UGA Roster: 6’5″, 220 LBS

NFL Combine: 6’4 6/8″, 220 LBS

Tight End Charlie Woerner:

UGA Roster: 6’5″, 245 LBS

NFL Combine: 6’4 5/8″, 244 LBS

The verdict? Georgia isn’t significantly fibbing about the size of players. UGA is more likely to be adjusting the heights, but not by more than an inch. The NFL Combine uses more precise height measurements than UGA’s roster.

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Which UGA o-lineman has most to gain this spring?

With so many starting spots available, who will offensive line coach Matt Luke turn to during his inaugural season in Athens?

Following the departure of former offensive line coach Sam Pittman, the new head coach at the University of Arkansas, multiple Bulldogs he recruited to the University of Georgia followed suit.

Tackle Isaiah Wilson, a redshirt sophomore, declared early for the NFL Draft. Fellow tackle and projected first round pick Andrew Thomas did as well following his junior season. Relatively surprisingly, guard Solomon Kindley made the same decision despite qualifying for a redshirt senior season.

Cade Mays, the first Georgia Bulldog since Jonas Jennings to play all five OL positions in red and black, transferred to Tennessee to play with his younger brother in Knoxville for their father’s alma mater.

Center Trey Hill and guard/tackle Ben Cleveland are the only holdovers to start on the Bulldogs’ offensive line. Both players are entering their final season of eligibility.

With so many starting spots available, who will offensive line coach Matt Luke turn to during his inaugural season in Athens?

Xavier Truss:

Assuming Ben Cleveland gets early reps at right tackle (if not right guard), the left tackle spot will be wide open and thus attainable for the redshirt freshman Truss. At six-foot-seven and 330 pounds, he’s got the length and mass necessary to protect right-handed grad transfer QB Jamie Newman’s blindside. Combine that with the motor and footwork necessary to facilitate outside run plays and he may just be the Dawgs’ best fit at LT.

Warren Ericson:

Following injuries and the several aforementioned early NFL Draft declarations, Ericson started at right guard in January’s Sugar Bowl win over Baylor. In 2020, the redshirt sophomore may have to rotate behind seniors Cleveland and Justin Shaffer at either of the guard positions, but can put himself in a good position to secure solid substitute reps before Cleveland and Shaffer exhaust their eligibility. Matt Luke clearly sees something in Ericson.

Warren McClendon:

The younger of the OL’s two Warrens, McClendon shares with Ericson ample opportunity to break into the starting lineup. With both tackle spots ripe for the taking, McClendon can compete with Truss at left tackle, but seems more suited for right tackle as his size. The cousin of former Georgia running back Bryan McClendon saw limited action in 2019 but has the skills and build to impose his will upon SEC defenders in 2020.

Justin Shaffer:

Shaffer has patiently waited his turn to start on the Bulldogs’ offensive line, and an untimely injury extended that timeline. He made his first career start against Tennessee and started every play of the game. In his start against South Carolina, a neck injury sidelined Shaffer for the remainder of the regular season. After having fully recovered from his injury, he’s deserved his time to show out in the trenches for the Dawgs and is expected to be a mainstay on Georgia’s 2020 offensive line.

Isaiah Wilson of Georgia a mammoth NFL tackle

Isaiah Wilson of Georgia football a mammoth NFL tackle

The three key cogs of the so-called Great Wall of Georgia all declared early for the NFL draft. Taking a quick look at each of them: Andrew Thomas, Solomon Kindley and Isaiah Wilson

Here I look up, way up at big Isaiah Wilson.

Wilson, not his now much more heralded classmate Andrew Thomas, came into the University of Georgia as the top-ranked offensive lineman in the country. Out of Poly Prep High School in Brooklyn, NYC, and already 6-7, 345, the young man struggled mightily to adapt to the searing Southern heat and humidity. He also was not reasonably tested by anyone in high school, considering how much bigger and stronger he was than his competition.

While Thomas was immediately thrust into the starting lineup and was the left tackle of the present and future at UGA, Wilson had to wait his time. As a two-year starter for the Dawgs, Wilson helped lead Georgia teams that won 11 and 12 games and put up three thousand-yard rushers: Elijah Holyfield (once) and  D’Andre Swift (twice). Not many men can get around or through him.

Oct 5, 2019; Knoxville, TN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson (79) blocking Tennessee Volunteers linebacker Darrell Taylor (19) during the first quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports

As offensive line coach Sam Pittman left UGA to becoming the head coach at Arkansas, Wilson choose to join his fellow tackle Thomas and leave early for the NFL. At right tackle, he is probably a second round pick to a team in need. I don’t think he has the speed to be converted to a left tackle easily.

Measurements for every Georgia football player at NFL Combine

NFL Combine measurement results for every Georgia football.

This week, a number of former Georgia players are in Indianapolis for the 2020 NFL Combine, where they will be partaking in measurements, on-field workouts, team interviews and medical examinations.

So far, every player minus J.R. Reed has gone through the measurement portion of the week, and we have all results listed for you below.

Here is this week’s schedule for Georgia’s 10 players in attendance.

(Note, Georgia has no players in group 3 — Just 1, 2 and 4.)

Group 1: (Fromm, Cager, Woerner)

Sunday, Feb. 23: Arrive in Indy, Registration, Orientation, Interviews

Monday, Feb. 24: Measurements, Pre-exam at hospital, Interviews

Tuesday, Feb. 25: Media session, Medical exams, Position coach interviews, Psychological testing

Wednesday, Feb. 26: NFLPA Meeting, Interviews, Bench Press, Psychological Testing

Thursday, Feb. 27: Limited testing, On-field Workout

Friday, Feb. 28: Departure from Indianapolis

Group 2: (Blankenship, Thomas, Kindley, Wilson, Swift, Herrien)

Monday, Feb. 24: Arrive in Indy, Registration, Orientation, Interviews

Tuesday, Feb. 25: Measurements, Pre-exam at hospital, Interviews

Wednesday, Feb. 26: Media session, Medical exams, Position coach interviews, Psychological testing

Thursday, Feb. 27: NFLPA Meeting, Interviews, Bench Press, Psychological Testing

Friday, Feb. 28: Limited testing, On-field Workout

Saturday, Feb. 29: Departure from Indianapolis

Group 4: DB (JR Reed)

Wednesday, Feb. 26: Arrive, Registration, Orientation, Interviews

Thursday, Feb. 27: Measurements, Pre-exam at hospital, Interviews

Friday, Feb. 28: Media session, Medical exams, Position coach interviews, Psychological testing

Saturday, Feb. 29: NFLPA Meeting, Interviews, Bench Press, Psychological Testing

Sunday, March 1: Limited testing, On-field Workout

Monday, March 2: Departure from Indianapolis

Here are the measurement results from the nine players so far:

Jake Fromm

Jan 6, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm (11) speaks during media day at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia’s Jake Fromm has received his 2020 NFL Combine measurements. Fromm’s hand size, which is under nine inches, is somewhat concerning. Nine inches is considered the minimum hand size for an NFL quarterback.

Here’s how both Jake Fromm and Washington Huskies QB Jacob Eason measured at the combine:

Ultimately, hand size doesn’t have much correlation with cold weather performance and fumbles, so it shouldn’t drop Fromm too far. That being said, Fromm doesn’t have the measurables of the other elite quarterbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft.

LSU’s Joe Burrow did have nine inch hands as well. He’ll still be the first pick of the NFL Draft. One-eighth of an inch shouldn’t make too much of a difference for UGA’s Jake Fromm.

NFL player comparison:

Fromm: Colt McCoy

Eason: Carson Palmer/Brock Osweiler

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Ten Georgia football alumni invited to NFL Combine

The Georgia Bulldogs will be well represented at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine.

The Georgia Bulldogs will be well represented at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine.

Ten Dawg lettermen will attempt to turn the heads of NFL scouts and coaches across a series of drills and exercises, all conducted between February 27 and March 2 in Indianapolis.

Today, the NFL released a list of all 337 players invited. Representing the Silver Britches will be (in alphabetical order):

  • Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship
  • Wide receiver Lawrence Cager
  • Quarterback Jake Fromm
  • Running back Brian Herrien
  • Offensive lineman Solomon Kindley
  • Safety JR Reed
  • Running back D’Andre Swift
  • Offensive lineman Andrew Thomas
  • Tight end Charlie Woerner
  • Offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson

With several surprising early draft declarations, Georgia is ranked among the top three in number of prospects invited per school.

The only school that matches Georgia’s number of participants is Alabama  and the only school with more participants than both is LSU.

Good luck to every Dawg at the Combine. The Bulldog Nation is rooting for you.